I was well and then I wasn't. In one second, my life changed forever. I type with only one, functional hand. Even so, I am the author of "The Tales of a Stroke Patient," the true story behind my stroke and its consequences, including deplorable nurses, gruesome depression, and a motorized shopping cart gone wild. I'll take you on the expedition in this blog called the same as the book, but be prepared for a bumpy ride. Contact info: Joyce Hoffman / hcwriter@gmail.com

About Me

Jan 22, 2017

Should there be yet another protocol for the handicapped that
includes a no passing zone? Read on. I really want to know your slant.

I was going for another blood test, my weekly routine (INR), to check if my blood coagulation was in an acceptable range because I take Coumadin, a blood thinner. (See http://stroketales.blogspot.com/2016_11_28_archive.html) The results got iffy for a while because I was slacking off, not always precisely counting the vitamin K that I get from foods like diabetics with their sugar. (Read INR tracker to see which foods are highest and lowest in vitamin K -- http://inrtracker.com/nutrients)

I had two appointments that day--blood testing and the neurologist at 4. It was now about 2 o'clock. As soon as I entered the building for the first appointment, my friend Jody and I, ambling faster by my standards but still slow by normal standards, went straight for about 25 feet and then made a left to travel about 100 feet down a narrow hallway.

At the end of the hallway was Labcorp, an all-purpose center for testing of bodily fluids. Anybody who goes the distance is going to Labcorp because it's the last door straight ahead.

As I got within 20 feet, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around, still walking forward which was stupid for risking a fall, and saw what I presumed was a mother and her teenaged daughter narrowing the distance. Then they were a foot behind me. I know because I smelled the strong odor of garlic on their breath. That smell made me hungry, reminding me I skipped lunch. But I digress.

Anyway, we were almost to the door--I'd say 3 feet--when the mother and daughter edged past us, walking sidewards to get to the door first.

"No," I screamed when they were at the doorway, "we were here first. Let me go first."

Without saying anything, the mother and teen entered Labcorp without holding the heavy door which slammed in front of me and signed in ahead of me. Jody opened the door and I was seething, but Jody gave me that look that says, "Calm down." I didn't care and went forward with the argument. Jody picked up a magazine, but I don't think she was reading it.

"That was rude of you to go ahead of me. You see the cane so obviously I'm disabled," I said, glaring when we were seated.

But the mother was on her cell phone, her eyes cast downward as if she wanted to concentrate on the call, and the teen returned my glare. I saw I was getting nowhere with these two.

I looked around for "No Cell Phones Allowed" signs, at times seen in medical offices, adding fuel to my argument, but there weren't any. And of course, the mother and teen were taken ahead of me.

When we left and got in the car, Jody didn't talk to me, so I imagine she was pissed off. That shouting incident was a week ago, and to remain friends, neither of us brought it up. I was punctual for the next appointment at the neurologist a half hour
away, with 15 minutes to spare, but that's not the point.

So I come to you, dear reader, to say: You know my side, but was I right to demand being first or was I wrong to expect that outcome? Use the comment section to speak your mind. Or
write me an email. Either way. After writing for more than 40 years, I
can take
rejection.

Jan 7, 2017

Just what you wanted--a quiz to start off the new year. (Just joking). But take the quiz anyway. Even stroke survivors may not get them all right, but I hope they do.

For all the people who didn't have a stroke, I'm providing this quiz not to scare you but rather to educate you and make you more aware of strokes and their effects. Did I succeed? Well, you tell me! Write the letter of the correct response for all 10, if you can. The answers are at the bottom of this post. Here goes:

1. The first one is easy. What happens to a majority of people when they get a stroke?
a. The mouth droops.
b. The words are slurred.
c. The person has trouble walking.
d. The person is confused.
e. All of the above.

2. What happens to the tongue initially when somebody has a stroke in a majority of the cases?
a. It recedes.
b. It gets longer.
c. It goes crooked when the person sticks it out.
d. It locks in place.
e. It vibrates.

4. A stroke occurs
a. when a clot blocks the blood supply to the brain.
b. when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.
c. randomly without cause.
d. only when people reach the age of 65 or older.
e. with either a and b.

5. Some risk factors of getting a stroke are
a. heredity.
b. age.
c. gender.
d. just a and b.
e. a, b, and c.

6. Ethnicity plays a role in stroke attacks in that
a. African Americans have double the stroke rates of Caucasians in the U.S.
b. Caucasians have double the stroke rates of African Americans in the U.S.
c. Asians have double the stroke rates of African Americans in the U.S.
d. African Americans have half the stroke rates of Caucasians in the U.S.
e. Asians, African Americans, and Caucasians and in a 3-way tie for stroke
in the U.S.

8. Every year, how many people have strokes worldwide?
a. 2 million
b. 300,000
c. 5 million
d. 10,000
e. 15 million

9. According to a prominent study, what percent of the people who recover
from their first stroke will have another stroke within 5 years?
a. 10 percent
b. 25 percent
c. 75 percent
d. 90 percent
e. 100 percent

10. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is suddenly
interrupted by a clot (ischemic stroke) or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood
into the spaces surrounding brain cells (hemorrhagic stroke). According to these facts, the brain cells
a. die and cannot be regenerated according to all studies.
b. live regardless of the kind of stroke.
c. are in an ongoing study at the Cleveland Clinic to determine whether they can be
stimulated and improved.
d. live or die, depending on your gender.
e. live or die, depending on your age.

How did you do? Tell me in the Comments section under this post if you have time.